It was a battle between the pitchers Sunday. And despite Blue Devil starter Danny Otero’s impressive performance—allowing only seven hits and no walks over seven innings—the Demon Deacons’ offensive strength won out in the end.
“With the game Danny pitched we should have been able to win,” first baseman Javier Socorro said. “It seems like we coasted for a few innings when we should have expanded that 2-0 lead and given a little more cushion for Danny.”
In three consecutive heartbreakers the Blue Devils (9-23, 1-11 in the ACC) fell a single run short to the Demon Deacons (14-16, 7-8), losing 11-10, 6-5 and 3-2 in the ACC series.
The Blue Devils first lead of the weekend did not come until the third inning Sunday. Duke scored the game’s first run, when Adam Murray connected on an infield single that drove in sophomore Jonathan Anderson.
The Blue Devils’ second run came at the top of the fourth off an error by third baseman Matt Antonelli, scoring Corey Whiting.
But these would be the only runs Duke would accumulate the rest of the game. Brian Bach pitched a complete game, scattering seven hits and striking out seven.
Otero kept Wake Forest quiet for six innings, but in the seventh Brenden Enick homered. Then in the eighth, a wild pitch allowed Brett Linnenkohl to steal home, and two batters later J.B. Tucker doubled in the runner at second to put the Demon Deacons ahead 3-2 and cap off their three-game sweep.
In the first two games of the series, Duke fell behind in the early innings, only to fall short in late-inning comeback attempts.
The Blue Devils trailed 11-4 entering the ninth inning Friday, and after Ron Causey fouled out to lead off, seven consecutive Blue Devils reached base.
With Bryan Smith on first, freshman Jimmy Gallagher nailed a two-run homer into leftfield to put Duke within five. Then Murray and Socorro connected on back-to-back singles, and Brett Bartles walked to load the bases. Cody Wheeler reached on a catcher’s interference forcing in a run and Corey Whiting singled in another.
Wake Forest closer Kyle Young forced a pop up for the second out of the inning. On Causey’s ensuing single, pinch runner Senterrio Landrum scored from third. But Young worked a full count against Smith and then fielded a groundball to stop Duke’s comeback short and end the game.
“It’s frustrating but it’s tough to score in the ACC because everybody in the league is good,” Murray said. “Being able to put up six runs in an inning is unbelievable. But we needed seven.”
Murray and Socorro took the helm again in Saturday’s matchup with back-to-back two-run doubles in the eighth inning to tie the game at five. But the Demon Deacons were able to pull away once more with a double by Tucker to score the runner at second.
“We shouldn’t always have to be in those situations,” Murray said of the two comebacks. “A lot of times it comes to our last at bat and it’s important that doesn’t keep happenning. ACC teams are going to close things out.”
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